Full Circle
by SwissWits
Summary: Post-BD. A series of fluffy one-shots. Witnessing lazy days and moments in their household, members of the Cullen family reflect that little moments like these are moments best spent. Shifting POV's.  My first fanfic, read & review?
1. Esme

The snow drifted lightly in the wind before settling on the ground. It was cloudy, and if it wasn't snowing, it was raining. Normally, this would be enough to make someone miserable. Not for us. Earlier, Alice had alerted that the light snowfall was a facade; a heavy blizzard was on its way and poised to make its arrival known any time now. The news was turned on and the attractive young weather girl confirmed what Alice already knew. People were encouraged to stay home, schools were cancelled for the day, and roads shall remain closed until further notice. This meant that every individual of Cullen family were stuck at home...with each other. We hadn't minded the idea, though; since the confrontation with the Volturi a few weeks ago, these kinds of times were much appreciated and any time we had with each other was brought with a renewed, albeit never lost, sense of peace and contentment. There was no need for pretense within our home, and even with all the quirks this family possessed, nothing could provide more of a sense of normalcy than this very moment did. I sat in one of the bay windows, trying to etch every single detail of this moment into my flawless memory. I did so quietly, under the impression that I was doodling in my sketch book, as to not interrupt this scene that was so typical of my family, yet so anticipated.

Everyone took joy in the blizzard, for we didn't have to act like we had things to do. The blizzard provided us with the perfect excuse to have just one lazy day, free from worry. Each member had dispersed to partake in their favorite past times. Though separated throughout the house, nothing could shake the feeling of togetherness I felt as I sat here lounged on the bay window overlooking the expanse of the backyard and the terrain beyond it. It was fairly quiet and I barely heard my Carlisle approach me with that serene smile of his that never failed to warm my heart. Wordlessly, I patted the seat next to me, an invitation he didn't refuse. He lifted my legs onto his lap before picking up the issue of National Geographic that someone, probably Jasper, had haphazardly left lying on the floor, and started reading. I couldn't help but stare at his profile, as if I never saw it before. Even after all this time, his beauty never ceased to surprise me; every time I looked at him, there always seemed to be another thing that I have yet to notice and I could have stared at him all day. That is until...

"For Heaven's sake, Jasper!" the boisterous tone of Emmett said incredulously. "That maneuver I made was totally legal, you aren't playing fair!"

Jasper merely responded with a smug grin on his face and Carlisle snickered from his seat next to me without having taken his eyes off the magazine. He knew enough of our two oldest sons to know that their ensuing argument was just silly banter, nothing to get too worked up about. "Sorry, brother, but you're just not that good at this game," Jasper chuckled. Currently, my two oldest boys were against the northern wall of the living room locked in another one of their board games. Right now, it seemed as if the game in question was their version of chess-eight different chess boards and a medley of complicated rules. "You should know the rules. You helped me write them, remember?" Jasper added.

"Yes, but...," a dejected Emmett said. He knew Jasper had him there, and he was at a loss for words.

"No 'buts'. Illegal maneuvers will result in the revocation of one of your 'Kings' and/or one of your 'Knights'. Seeing as I totally wiped out all of your knights already, I have no choice but to alleviated you of one of your Kings," Jasper explained, schooling Emmett on the rules as if they were the most obvious things in the world.

My lovely daughter Bella sat cross-legged on the floor next to them with her elbows propped up on her knees and her chin resting on her fists, eyebrows furrowed glancing between her two older brothers, who now completely ignored the chess game altogether and were locked in a stare-down contest.

"So, wait...Guys, hello?...Can you just look over here for a second?," she was quietly pleading for their attention. She clearly wanted to learn the logic behind this game, and she started pressing on her temples as if she'd get it if she concentrated enough. Little did she know, her attempts to understand were futile; "Cullen Chess" was invented decades ago, and none of us have yet to figure out the intricacies that Jasper and Emmett formulated out of the game. Then again, this was Bella and her curiosity seemed very hard to quench.

Because of this, since her transformation Emmett and Jasper had taken it upon themselves to get Bella used to the madness that was the Cullen household. Of course, she was exposed to it as a human, but being a vampire allowed for her to fully participate in some of their crazier schemes, without the risk of her getting hurt. Somewhat unfortunately, their rambunctious ways seemed to rub off on Bella, much to Edward's dismay. Eventually, however, Edward realized that his Bella was no longer a fragile human and that she was actually now able to physically keep up with everyone else. Now, he found it quite amusing how much she enjoyed herself getting into mischief with Emmett and Jasper. They would even include Renesmee in their craziness on occasion. In every way, Bella was the younger sister the boys have always wanted (she wasn't overtly girly and conservative like Rose and Alice were) and they were ecstatic the first time Bella showed a liking to their favorite hobbies. I chuckled inwardly, remembering the first time my youngest daughter had approached her brothers, practically begging them to teach her how to properly throw a football. Even if the lesson took less than three minutes, Bella claimed it "was way more fun than playing Bella-Barbie".

I smiled at her as she interacted with her brothers. Carlisle leaned over and whispered to me, "Who would've thought that a daughter of ours wouldn't be interested in maxing out our savings, eh?". We shared a quite chuckle, but Alice must've heard what he said because she rolled her eyes playfully at us.

"Bella, are you still trying to figure out that game-you know you won't, we've told you a million times," Alice quipped at her sister from her perch on the couch, where she had her laptop cradled in her tiny lap. Around her lay swatches of fabrics of different colors and textures. "Look at this outfit that I just purchased for you online." Bella let out a low grumble of disappointment, she was still in the midst of figuring out the game! As figured, Bella gave in to her sister (always trying to make others happy) quickly before rushing back to her earlier position.

For the past few days, Alice had been pouring herself over her laptop trying to get a head start on her purchases for the upcoming spring season. Though she was much deeper than her somewhat superficial hobby implied, shopping was very much a big part of what Alice loved. And though she spent way too much money, Carlisle never denied his daughters, or any of his children, their happiness.

"Esme, can you help me with something?," Alice voiced quietly as I turned my head to where she was eyeing me hopefully.

"Of course, dear. What is it?" I asked as I untangled myself from my husband's embrace and got up from my seat. He gave he a quick peck on the cheek before quickly reabsorbing himself in the magazine. I stroked the top of Alice's spiky head as I leaned over the back of the sofa to look at the computer screen.

"I want to get Rosalie something nice. I like this Peach cardigan but she would also look so gorgeous in this ruby one," she said, disgruntled.

I giggled at her dilemma. When she asked what was funny, I simply told her she should just buy both of it, for that hasn't stopped her before! The biggest grin spread across her angelic face before declaring me a genius. "You're right, mom!," she squealed. My heart warmed for the umpteenth time that day at her use of the word 'mom'.

I was reveling in happiness when we heard the raucous laughter of Edward coming from the garage followed by a very shocked squeal that very much only Rosalie could pull off. "Ed-ward!," she screamed, though from here, you could hear the smile in her voice, she wasn't really mad. For quite some time now, Edward's and Rosalie's bond had strengthened, and today, you wouldn't even know their relationship was ever strained. They both shared an undying appreciation for Bella, and the little girl she fought fate for, our Renesmee. That one commonality was enough for them to toss all their other disagreements aside. Bella and Renesmee were simply that precious to them-to all of us.

The pitter-patter of small feet drew the attention of those of us gathered in the living room. We all looked up to see Nessie standing on the landing of the staircase yawning and rubbing her fists into her eyes. Up until this point, she had been in Edward's room, listening to some of his classical recordings. Even at her very young age, she took a keen interest to music, something that made Edward obscenely proud. She would ask him to show her his music collection, and she spent a lot of her time here in Edward's old room. Of course, the room isn't as masculine as it was before. Nessie would occasionally bring something of hers into the room, forget it there, and slowly the room started to look "girly". Eventually, the music had lulled her to sleep, and a three hour nap later, she stood glassy eyed looking at us probably wondering what the noise was that had wakened her. As if to answer her question, we heard the shuffling of feet, as if Rosalie was chasing Edward around the garage where they were busy probably fine tuning the fleet of cars that they housed there. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Edward was chanting at Rosalie while he would cough up bouts of laughter. Unable to mask her concern any longer, Bella scooped up her daughter and covered her face in kisses before they headed to the garage door to see what the commotion was about. I had followed them, and stopped at the disaster that was Rosalie.

Standing there in all her beauty, Rosalie was glaring playfully at Edward, while the front of her silk shirt was covered in what looked like car oil. Edward had a guilty look on his face, and on his shirt, Rosalie's handprints had smeared oil indicating she had probably put up a fight with him after whatever stunt he had pulled. "What happened?" I chastised my children half-heartedly; nothing was going to sour the peace at home today.

"He squirted that bottle of oil on me. I said pass it to me, not toss it on me," she told me before addressing the second part of that sentence to a sheepish looking Edward.

"Whoops," he cowered. As he slowly backed his way behind Bella and Nessie in hopes of using them as a shield (Rosalie would never harm him if Nessie was in the way), he tried flashing Rosalie one of his charming smiles, in hopes she'd forgive him. That boy was too charming for his own good and he knew it!

"Edward!" Bella and I scolded at the same time Nessie murmured, "Daddy's busted", a term she had undoubtedly picked up from her uncles. He looked at Renesmee with a pout that feigned hurt.

"I didn't mean it. It's not my fault Auntie Rosie can't catch," he cooed as he made a motion to gather her into his arms. "You forgive me, right, baby?" Nessie looked thoughtful for a moment while tapping her chin.

"Of course! You're my Daddy!" she squealed as she launched into his extended arms. I beamed at her excitement. A while ago, we had observed that Nessie, though still very graceful next to other human children her age, had inherited her mother's clumsiness. She has also inherited her father's fearlessness. Edward joked that that made for one scary combination, and my family found it terribly humorous and quite endearing.

"I love your logic, Nessie, but what about me?" Rosalie smiled at her niece. "Us girls have to stick together. Are you going to let him get away with it that easily?"

Not knowing how to answer her question, Nessie tucked her head into the crook of Edward's neck shyly and simply stated, "You're still my pretty Aunty Rose." That, we all knew, would strike a cord in Rose. So Nessie was a Charmer as well! Edward smirked at hearing my thoughts. "She gets that from me," he chuckled. I know, Son. He smiled again. Rosalie's face lit up with instant joy at her niece's words.

"Oh, well. I guess you're forgiven for now, Eddie," Rose tapped Edward's cheek patronizingly as she passed by him on her way back into the house to get cleaned up. Edward frowned at the nickname. Nessie giggled, slapped his cheeks between her tiny hands and planted a loud smooch on the bridge of his nose. She knew how much he hated that nickname. She also knew how to cheer him up. Bella and I watched them-the bond between Edward and his child was extraordinary, and followed them back into the living room where the rest of the family had been waiting.

I stopped in the doorway, taking in the new scene that had taken place in our short absence. Bella went to take a seat on the piano bench next to Edward who began playing a tune I knew he was making up on the spot, but was a beautiful tune nonetheless. Renesmee was still small enough to sit up under the baby grand her parents were occupying, and she was there assembling a jigsaw puzzle she had started earlier in the week but never finished because her overactive attention span led her to abandon it in her pursuit of another activity.

Alice was still on her computer, though this time, she had a still-covered-in-car-oil Rosalie next to her. They would look at each other and share giggles over something before they would turn their attention to their husbands who were in the process of cleaning up their previous game of chess. From the scattered game boards and strewn-about chess pieces, it seemed this game had gotten a little out of hand while I was observing the earlier catastrophe in the garage. While organizing the games back into their respective boxes, Emmett and Jasper would banter playfully and would swipe at each other to get the other riled up even more to which Alice and Rose would simply roll their eyes.

The wind howled and whipped at the trees outside, informing us of the blizzard's arrival. Two strong, familiar arms embraced me from behind. Though it was cold outside, nothing had warmed me more than to be witness to this family's antics. Never had I imagined this amount of love could be possible for our kind. But we had it. We had come full circle, in a way; from each of us being all alone in some way at one point in history to being a complete family.

The snow started falling harder, blanketing our backyard in its pristine white purity. Our children and grandchild all stopped what they were doing to gather at the large window to view the spectacle. My husband and I stood back admiring it all.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Carlisle murmured contentedly gazing in the direction of our family or the snow, I couldn't really tell.

I thought back to our past, to our today, to our future.

"It most definitely is," I said. "It's stunning."


	2. Bella

Bella

Here I sat, in the newly furnished and freshly moved in house our family now resided in. The moving process was about done; the big and heavier items were in place and there were just a few minor jobs around the house that needed to be completed and some boxes that needed unpacking. I was hesitant to move away from Forks, for that tiny town had come to mean so much to me in the short time that I had lived there. I found the love of my existence, reacquainted with my father, became a part of a family, and brought my Nessie into the world. However, I knew moving was inevitable; people would have started to notice Carlisle's never-changing physical appearance if we didn't. Also, Charlie had finally retired and married Sue and, thanks to a generous wedding present from Carlisle and Esme, were about to start their months-long world-wide honeymoon.

Therefore, there wasn't a better opportunity to make the move than now. I would miss Forks, I think we all would. It was a starting point for all of us, and seeing how the Cullens were such a complete unit now, it was bound that one day we would return to that special place again. The main house and our little cottage would be looked after, a favor given to us by Seth and the pack. "A gift for my new sister," he had stated simply to me. The houses, my father, and the pack would be there when we returned. The thought reassured me, and I ended up enjoying myself on the cross-country trek to our newly furbished colonial style home located on the outskirts of White Mountain National Forest in Maine.

Seeing as this family had way too many automobiles, and the fact that we didn't want to spend hours on a cramped airplane where we'd have to keep up the human charade, we decided to just make a cross-country drive here. It had been a very entertaining one, as well. The one person who was probably the most excited was my daughter.

She now had the appearance of an eight-year old, and her accelerated growth had, unfortunately, kept her from venturing out of the house for long periods of time at the risk of raising suspicion. Not now; this road trip had provided her young eyes with the sights and sounds of the grand ol' USA. She had spent the better part of the packing process following Jasper (our personal 'historian') around, asking him questions and acquiring knowledge about the places we'd pass on our way to the new house. That girl was an bottomless pit of curiosity and was always on a quest for knowledge. Jasper hadn't minded keeping her company though. He hated packing, claiming he couldn't deal with the "hysteria and feelings of frustration" that we had dealt with while stuffing our many belongings into boxes. Instead, he would swoop Nessie up and take her hunting before she bombarded him with more questions.

Eventually, everything we had packed was loaded up in the moving van, and we had loaded up into the cars on our way to Maine. I decided to let Rosalie drive my Ferrari to Maine; I had never fully gotten used to that thing, and she was leaving her M3 behind for Jacob anyway. In the last couple years, Rosalie and Jacob had come to an unspoken understanding. They would be around each other, inevitably, and even they got tired and couldn't keep up with the hostility, thus ending their trifling. Now, they'd banter, but never out of spite. They both knew how unsettling it was for Nessie to see them mad at each other. Jake and his pack became a big part of the family, and if it wasn't for his pack being grounded in La Push, he would've been moving with us to Maine. He did, however, promise Nessie he'd call constantly. The power of WebCams also helped calm their resolve. He was currently in the process of obtaining his degree at the University of Washington, and would be making the move to where we were when he was finished.

I stood from where I was sitting on the ground, unpacking Carlisle's books to add them to his library. He was currently at his new workplace, and I wanted to get his library set up for him before he got home. After all, books were my most prized material possessions and I'll be damned before I let my relatively rowdy siblings be in charge of setting up this library. Carlisle and I shared this sanctuary, and if I had anything to do with it, it would be perfect. I felt my husband's presence enter the room, and before I could even turn around, I was gathered from behind and lifted bridal style into his arms and out of the room.

"You need a break, my Love. You've been hiding your gorgeous self from me in there for a few hours now," he whispered huskily into my ear. Even after all this time, he knew how to make me weak in the knees. Hell if I cared. I would never tire of Edward. I laughed as he started peppering my cheek and jaw with chaste kisses. I was so absorbed in him, I hadn't realized that he had managed to snuggle us on the couch of his and Nessie's music room.

"I'm sorry, I must've lost track of time. Books do that to me, you know," I replied coolly. He merely responded with a smile before our favorite sound reverberated through the window from the backyard. Nessie's laughter was so opposite of her. While she was a petite and extremely dainty little girl, her laugh was hearty and infectious. If I thought Edward's smile couldn't get any bigger, his smile at hearing our little girl's laugh was enough to overwhelm me with its warmth. It was one of those laughs that you can't help but laugh back at; a lot of times, her laugh would be funnier than the joke itself. Unable to resist seeing what our daughter was up to now, he pushed off the couch before grabbing my hand and leading me out of the double doors and into the backyard.

There Nessie sat in the tire swing Esme had insisted in installing for her. Esme claimed that one of her clearest human memories involved having one of those as a little girl, and thought maybe Nessie's outgoing personality and thrill for adventure would allow her to enjoy it as well. She was right. Esme stood behind her, with a smile etched so wide on her face that it rivaled Edward's. By the looks of it, Esme had been pushing Nessie on the swing, but stopped to take in the humorous scene unfolding before them. From what I saw, I could see why Nessie was laughing so hard earlier.

All four of her aunts and uncles were sprawled across the vast backyard. Around them were the bits and pieces of what was probably the miniature golf course Edward had somewhat impulsively bought soon after we had entered town. On our way here, we had impulsively stopped at a miniature golf course. We were in Chicago and my baby girl was getting restless. Vampire or human, Nessie was a child regardless. The bright and colorful billboard with the words 'miniature golf' emblazoned across it was enough to catch her attention...as well as Emmett's. She had enjoyed herself immensely frolicking around the synthetically crafted universe and Edward, wanting to prolong her happiness longer, had purchased her very own miniature golf set for the backyard. The backyard was certainly big enough for it, so none of us argued.

Until now, that is. Even for these vampires, something as trivial as reading an assembly manual apparently proved to be difficult and annoying. My four siblings were muttering quietly under their breaths, making their frustrations known to Edward. Edward simply smiled that arrogant little smirk of his at them; he read their minds, and knew they were just as excited as Nessie to get this golf course set up. They would finish the job regardless.

Alice and Rose were seated next to each other on the grass with pages and pages of instructions surrounding them. Jasper looked positively puzzled, and Emmett was picking up various pieces thinking they'd fit together, examining them and went back to looking completely confused again. Who knew it was this much work? Feeling a little guilty for asking them of this favor, I went over and sat next to my sisters.

"This is all your Husband's fault you know!" Rose sighed as I plopped myself next to her while Edward went to help his brothers with the building process. "She's got him wrapped all around her pretty little fingers." I smiled at Rose's obviously fierce affection towards my daughter.

"Please, Rose! Emmett was just as excited at the golf course. Plus, I secretly want to see the tragedy that is Emmett trying to play this game. That big lug in a mini golf course is something I'm dying to see," Alice exclaimed, then laughed at her use of the word 'dying'.

I picked up the instructions and started to read aloud from the beginning-they hadn't gotten that far. "Okay, listen up gentlemen!" I used in my best authoritative voice. I proceeded to bark out orders at the boys. The girls, realizing I had this part under control, laid back and relaxed watching the boys get down to work. After 45 minutes and a flurry of vampires moving back and forth assembling this monstrosity, the golf course was done.

"Good job, everyone!" Nessie commended us as she rushed out of her father's embrace over to inspect her new toy. She handed each of us our own golf clubs, an invitation to play. This little girl was so considerate of others. We all played a few rounds, but eventually, with as many mischievous individuals like ourselves, the game started to get a little rowdy and the rules no longer applied anymore. Esme had taken perch on the vacated swing to bear witness to the game, and to supervise the "bunch of cheating hooligans", as she had lovingly deemed us.

The sun was starting its descent towards the horizon, and the sky turned into a harmonious mix of pinks and golds. Carlisle, our father would be home soon. I caught my mother's eyes, and made my way over to the swing, where she was using her feet to gently rock herself back and forth. She stopped and smiled her thousand-watt smile before I took a seat directly in front of her, leaning my back against her slender legs. Absentmindedly, she began playing with my hair. She often did this to us girls; she'd run her fingers gently through my locks, then softly tug and twist the strands into a delicate style. Her touch had the most loving intentions and made my unbeating heart feel like it would burst with life. In every single way, Esme was my mother. We had no blood or venom that physically attached us to one another, but she filled the position better than even Renee could in my life. I love Renee, but she had been more of a friend in my life whereas Esme provided the shelter and wise guidance that a woman needed to start her own family. She and I both bonded over the mutual gratitude we felt toward our respective children. As a human, I had admired her soft motherly affection to her children, and her tenacity when their well-beings were threatened.

The two of us laughed, watching the game of golf escalate into a wrestling match between Edward and Jasper. Nessie stood indignantly off to the side with her hands on her hips, staring at the tangled heap of arms and legs that was her father and uncle. "Boys..." she huffed. She had one eyebrow lifted disbelievingly, a quirk of hers I admired so much-she looked so much like Edward when she did that, an observation I voiced quietly to Esme.

She giggled. "She's a perfect mix of the both of you, I think," she replied.

"You think so. I always thought that, except for her eyes, that girl is ALL Edward. Not that I mind," I chuckled.

"Honey, look at her. Her courage, her warmth, her caring nature, her unrelenting spirit. She is very much your daughter as well, sweetheart," she murmured thoughtfully. "In fact, even though I hadn't known you as a little girl, I picture you weren't far off from what Renesmee is now." Her words were so loving and sincere that had I been a human, my cheeks would be flushed and I would be on the verge of tears.

"You really think so?" I asked seriously as I tilted my head back to look at her face. For the longest times, I was still baffled that I had produced a child as wonderful as Nessie. It wasn't hard for me to believe Edward did, though; he was the perfect father. Now that Esme had made her observations clear to me, I had no doubts in my ability as a mother.

Before Esme had a chance to answer my question, Carlisle rounded the corner, still in his hospital scrubs, into the yard and confirmed to me, "We know so. We talk about it all the time". Carlisle touched Esme's cheek before taking a seat next to me. "New toys, I see," he laughed, nodding his head toward the enormous course that engulfed almost half of our expansive backyard. Tilting his head up towards Esme, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead. Their small, but intimate moments always made me feel like an intruder-imposing on a moment meant for two people to share. However, staring at my parents locked in each other's adoring gazes, I couldn't look away. That is until a very hyper and very flushed Nessie started tugging on my hands begging to come see something that had caught enough of her attention to draw her away from mini golf for a while.

"Mommy, we were playing golf. Then Auntie Alice heard chirping close by, and we went to go look for it and we found this baby bird all alone on the ground. I think it's all alone, Mom," she managed to ramble in a single breath. So, this was the "caring nature" Esme had pointed out earlier. I had let her tug me to the exact location where the cutest little chick lay helpless, chirping at anything to get its attention. After much convincing, and a pout I couldn't refuse, I let Nessie carefully pick up the bird so we could attempt to nurse it back to health. I watched my daughter as she walked carefully towards the house, as to not hurt the fragile animal she cradled in her cute little hands. She was so careful, so attentive to the life she held in her hands. And for that I was unabashedly proud of her.

"She gets that from you, you know...that warm heart," Edward's silky voice cam from behind. "I heard you and Esme talking earlier. She's right. Our little girl is very much like her beautiful mother."

I was about to respond when Nessie cam back running outside of the house, where she had dropped off her bird. She tripped on the last stair, and like he did so many times for me before, Edward managed to catch her.

Laughing at her obvious inheritance of my clumsy human side, he confirmed, "Yep. She's DEFINITELY your daughter."


	3. Edward

Author's Note: Hi all! I can't believe the traffic that this story has gained since it's been posted. I was worried it'd be a total fail. Lol. Anyway, if possible, I'd love it if you guys could leave a review...they make me want to keep writing! Thanks, again! Also, Twilight is NOT mine...but we already knew that.

—

Edward

Rays of light were starting to sneak their way past the Chenille material of the curtains, bringing the dawn to another day in our home. My wife and I were in bed, laying peacefully for what had been going on for about eight hours now. Bella's eyes were closed, and the corners of her perfect lips were turned upward just a bit—the picture of ultimate contentment. If I hadn't known any better, I'd think she was sleeping. She had put out her shield for me, and had been holding it that way for the entirety of the night; she knew how much it amazed me to see into her thoughts. Throughout the night, she would just pass random, happy thoughts and allow me to fully bask in the inner workings of her mind. I picked out flashes of her musings—Nessie's smile as she held onto my back on our last hunting trip, Emmett's and Jasper's startling guffaws at something earlier in the night, her and me lying in bed.

Not knowing how to express my thanks to her for letting me into her head, I simply wrapped my arm around her waist and flushed her against my body before crashing my lips against hers in a passionate kiss. Startled by my sudden movement, her shield snapped back, and I was once again left without her thoughts.

"Oops," I mumbled against her lips, never once breaking our contact. Bella just giggled, and the sound of it nearly broke my unbeating heart. It was one of the best sounds in the world. We slowed our kissing as we heard the faint sounds of our daughter's yawns from her room a few doors down from ours.

I smiled at my wife. She smiled back. I would bet anything we were thinking the same thing—Nessie was awake, let the day begin. Never had I thought my life would revolve so completely around a family. With the exception of my parents and siblings, I was alone for so long. Then, Bella came along providing me with everything I never knew I longed for during my days of solitude. Now, I'm a family man; I was completely and utterly blinded by the love I felt for Bella and Nessie.

As if on cue, we heard the soft puttering of feet against the hard cherry flooring of the hallway. "Here she comes," Bella whispered to me right before there was a dainty knock on our door.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Nessie uttered. She sounded groggy from just having woken up. Knowing we'd probably not get a moment alone for another twelve hours, Bella placed a quick peck on my lips before Nessie came into the room.

"Morning, baby!" I called when Nessie had the door flung open. It wasn't long before she launched herself in between me and Bella. Bella and I laughed. Nessie was fearless, and often did things recklessly—the perfect mix of me and Bella. I would often joke about this with my family while Bella and Nessie would simply roll their eyes.

"Good morning, pretty girl," Bella cooed peppering our beauty's face in kisses. I watched my two favorite girls fuss around in complete awe. Even as vampires, I realized the capacity of love. Love didn't discriminate and wasn't bound to rules. Every creature, even vampires, shared this one common trait; we were all capable of love, both receiving and giving. Before, love was only something I had witnessed in the humans around me. Now, witnessing this bond between vampire mother and child, I know that love is a universal gift that everyone and everything deserved.

Nessie grunted and fussed some more, trying to get comfortable, having gotten herself tangled in the sheets after leaping into the already jumbled mess that was our bed. Her eyebrows furrowed—another inherited trait from Bella, I might add—before she finally found a comfortable position nestled in the fluffy down pillows.

"Morning," she yawned to us in reply. She was so precious, and her innocence in that moment was overwhelming. After Bella had the comforter tucked snugly around Nessie, I reached over to pull my girls close and snuggled my face into Nessie's bronze locks. We laid in silence for a moment, allowing Nessie to get over that initial morning grogginess that humans—and half-humans, in Nessie's case—suffer when first waking in the morning. With my arms still locked around my two favorite women, I looked up above Nessie's head and caught Bella's eyes. Bright and sincere, her eyes told me exactly what her next words would confirm.

"I love you," she said quietly. I beamed at her and repeated the same to her before leaning over carefully to kiss her again. Nessie chose that moment to yawn again. However, rather than going back to feeling sleepy, she started humming a tune that she had been making up on the spot. She and I did that often—making up tunes on the go. Nessie often did this when she was happy. After sharing another glance between Bella and me, we both bent our heads down together and each placed a kiss on Nessie's round, rosy cheeks. She continued humming, and her melodious tenor would have lulled Bella and I to sleep, had we still been human. Instead, we settled for simply closing our eyes and simply letting the tune drift around us.

I realized that if an outsider had walked in on this moment, it would look like a perfectly normal Saturday morning. A Mom and Dad loving up their adorable daughter, after being woken up by said daughter. This thought made me feel human, and I was surprisingly proud of feeling that way. We're always so busy trying to keep up a charade in the real world, and having spent so much time avoiding dangers in the mythical world that we never really had a chance to enjoy these simple things like normal families would be able to. We have all come to terms with our lifestyle, and embraced vampirism, but sometimes it felt right moving at a human pace. Right now, we were just us. It felt good.

Of course, a day in this house is never that normal.

"Greet the day, sunshines! The sun is out and the birds are chirping," Alice said as she barged through the door. Somehow, she must have sensed the peace emanating from this bedroom...and came to destroy it. I chanced peeking with one of my eyes, and sure enough, my pixie of a sister was already dressed for the day looking at me and my family with a hint of mischief glinting in her topaz eyes. Even I didn't need my mind reading abilities to know that she came to steal my wife and child away from me today. She's been known to do that.

I groaned knowing that she had come with the intention to penetrate our little bubble and that she'll probably succeed in that mission. "Go away, Alice," I murmured and nuzzled myself closer to Nessie. This time I settled my head into the tiny crook of her neck in hopes of keeping my daughter closer to me for just a bit longer.

"Your hair is tickling me, Daddy!" she giggled while squirming between us. Wanting to hear that laugh some more, I continued tickling her until her rosy skin was even more flushed and she was in hysterics. Bella was laughing beside her.

"You guys can't hog Ness for the entire day, you know," Alice huffed, still at the foot of the bed.

"Yes I can. I made her," Bella piped back.

"Nice one," I congratulated Bella on her comeback with a playful high-five. However, Bella was always one to satisfy everyone else so she patted the space on the other side of her. "But if you're nice, I can share," she said. Alice, sensing the first sign of defeat in her mission, flopped into the space Bella provided. Nessie climbed over her mother to kiss Alice on the cheek.

"Okay, ladies—" I started when a bed-head ridden Jasper came moping into our room.

"UNCLE JASPER! UNCLE JASPER'S HERE" Nessie exclaimed, as if we hadn't noticed him. I chuckled at her enthusiasm. When they would hang out together, Nessie would constantly gush to him about how he was her favorite uncle. Of course, he didn't need to know that she says the exact same thing to Emmett when they're hanging out.

"Good day, darlin'. I must say, you guys are just oozing gooey happiness right now," Jasper replied. "Care if I crash the party?" he asked Ness.

"Like you weren't going to in the first place," I mumbled sarcastically.

"Touche, little brother," he quipped back, pulling Alice off the bed so he could sit back against the headboard, then settling Alice in front of him again.

"Okay. Where was I before we were so wonderfully interrupted?" I smirked at Jasper. "Oh, yeah. Ladies, what are our plans for the day," I asked.

"Our plans?" Alice asked me, confused.

"Yes. Our plans. If you intend on kidnapping my girls, I'm tagging along. They're not leaving my sight today...or forever for that matter," I clarified, twirling a lock of Bella's hair that laid on Nessie's pillow.

Alice looked at the windows, and her face fell noting just now that it was sunny out. This meant that whatever plans she concocted in her mind weren't going to happen today. There was just too much risk of being noticed. She fell back against Jasper's chest with a humph. Normally, I would have felt bad for her. Nobody liked seeing Alice sad. It went against the laws of the universe for a bubbly person to look so dejected. However, I was grinning with triumph on the inside; this meant my girls would be stuck in the house today. With me. Sensing my inner revelation, Jasper chuckled while Alice let out another huff.

"Hey, that's where you all are. We were wondering what was keeping everyone," Rosalie said, walking into the room. I sighed. Might as well enjoy the party while it lasts.

"Care to join the party, Rose?" I asked her. She came over to my side of the bed after greeting everyone else. She smacked my back, telling me to scoot over. Yep, this bed was nearing its body capacity. I don't think it was possible to fit much more and accommodate us comfortably for much longer. Of course, Emmett likes to defy theories.

"DID I HEAR 'PARTY'?" he bellowed, stopping in the room in nothing but a pair of plaid boxers. He stopped in the doorway, seeming shocked at the sight of all of us squeezing in the bed. He glanced between Nessie and the rest of us, gauging his ability to jump on the bed without injuring her.

"Emmett," I said in warning. Too late. He was in the air and before I know it, he landed at the foot of the bed in a perfect crouch. His weight jostled the bed, leaving us bouncing in its aftermath. Thankfully, we knew enough of Emmett to know he wouldn't do anything that posed harm or injury on Nessie. She was the most fragile, after all.

"Dear lord. You're such a big lug Emmett," Bella said, trying to fix the sheets that were strewn about after his stunt. Emmett chuckled, and settled himself at the foot of the bed as much as he could. Yes, this bed was DEFINITELY losing its body capacity.

At that moment, Esme and Carlisle were walking towards the staircase to head downstairs. They, too, stopped in the doorway to view the spectacle that was taking place in our bed. They took one look at us, looking back at them. A mix of many different expressions crossed their faces so quickly that we laughed at them. Esme opened her mouth to say something, but shut it quickly, shook her head and left with Carlisle in tow. That just caused us to laugh harder.

After the laughter ceased, we laid in silence for a while longer. Scanning through their thoughts, I found that there weren't any thoughts of concern, worry, or insecurity. The thoughts of those around me were all pretty content, none were serious. I can't remember a time where everyone was this at peace. There was no charade to worry about playing at home, no threat of the Volturi, no thoughts of sadistic vampires out to get us. Life was just perfect, for once.

In that moment, in the complete silence, Nessie's tummy started to growl. Nessie giggled. Adding to the list of our normal, "human" morning, it was time to feed my baby girl.

"Alright. As unexpected and weird as this morning has been, Nessie's gotta eat," Bella said sitting up and hopping off the bed in one fluid motion. I followed soon after, turning my back toward Nessie so she could hop on. As, the three of us made our way to the kitchen, I called to my siblings over my shoulder.

"Last one out of my bed has to make it!" I immediately heard the scurrying of bodies. None of them wanted to do it, hence the race to get out of my bed first. Of course, Emmett lost. I chuckled as I heard him let out a grumble.

I set Nessie on a barstool on one side of the island in the kitchen, next to Bella. "What do you feel like eating this morning, pretty girl?" I asked Nessie as I was rummaging through the fridge for breakfast items.

She didn't even hesitate. "Eggs! They're my favorite!"

"Oh really?" I asked but turned my smirk at Bella. That had been her craving during her pregnancy. Bella just rolled her eyes playfully at me. Had she been human, she's be blushing profusely right now. "They were mommy's favorite too," I told Nessie playfully. Bella just let out a low growl, making me laugh more. I couldn't stop smiling, even as I was completing the simple task of scrambling eggs.

"What's got you so chipper this morning, Son?" Carlisle asked as he came in from the backdoor, probably noticing the grin that has taken residence on my face lately. To answer his question, I simply looked over my shoulder at Nessie who was twirling and observing an apple around in her hands. Then, I locked eyes with my Love. My Bella.

"I'm just a very luck man, Carlisle," I stated simply.


End file.
